Mei Hin

Basic Profile

Mei Hin (Chinese: 梅浜), studbook number 737, is a female giant panda born on September 13, 2008 at Adventure World in Shirahama, Wakayama, Japan. She and her twin brother Yong Hin (永浜, studbook 738) were the first giant panda twins in Japan conceived through artificial insemination.

Her father is Eimei (永明, studbook 390) and her mother is Rau Hin (良浜, studbook 521). She is a member of the “Hama Family” (浜家族) — the largest overseas panda family, with 12 members spanning multiple zoos in Japan and China.

Siblings

Through her parents, Mei Hin’s siblings include Yong Hin (twin), Kai Hin, Yu Hin, Hai Hin, Yang Hin, You Hin, Sakura Hin, Tou Hin, and others — making the Hama Family one of the most extensive panda lineages outside China.

Life Journey

Return to China (2013)

On February 26, 2013, Mei Hin and Yong Hin returned to China, settling at the Chengdu Research Base after a month-long quarantine during which they underwent health checks, disease screening, and a gradual transition from Japanese to Chinese bamboo varieties.

Difficult First Birth (2016)

On May 29, 2016, Mei Hin gave birth to a female cub weighing 135 grams — Mei Lan (梅兰). But the birth was complicated. Unlike most panda mothers, Mei Hin showed no interest in her newborn — she left the cub on the ground, unresponsive to its cries. Keepers intervened, finding the cub’s body temperature had dropped to 33.2°C (normal is above 36°C). They placed it in an incubator and gradually warmed it with their hands.

After an hour of warming, the cub’s temperature recovered. Keepers placed it near Mei Hin again, and this time — prompted by the cub’s cries — she slowly, tentatively, picked it up and began nursing it. The cub was named Mei Lan and was successfully raised.

Tangshan Loan (2018–2021)

In May 2018, Mei Hin and a male panda named Shuang Xi (双喜) were transferred to Tangshan Zoo for a three-year educational exhibition. They arrived on May 8 and debuted on May 19, 2018. The zoo reported that Mei Hin adapted well, showing curiosity about her new surroundings and maintaining her dignified “star” demeanor while eating in front of visitors.